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Football Zebras has confirmed the officiating crews for the Divisional Playoffs. Officials are listed with their uniform number, years experience (including this season), the crew each official worked with in the regular season (by the referee’s name), college, and outside occupation.

All times are Eastern.

Three alternates are assigned to each game: one is designated for the offensive backfield (a referee or umpire), one is on the line of scrimmage (head linesman or line judge), and one is a deep position (side judge, field judge, or back judge).

The prior playoff experience listed for the crew chief includes his service as an NFL official, including as referee and any other crew position (excluding alternate assignments).

The eventual Super Bowl officials will be working in the divisional playoffs, but it is not known at this time who is on that crew.

Saturday, Jan. 11

NFC Divisional Playoff: Saints at Seahawks, 4:30 p.m. (Fox)

Terry McAulay is the referee, who is in his 16th year and 13th as referee. This is McAulay’s 13th postseason assignment (2 wild card playoffs, 2 divisional playoffs, 7 conference championships, and Super Bowls XXXIX and XLIII). His Super Bowl assignments were both as a referee.

AFC Divisional Playoff: Colts at Patriots, 8:15 p.m. (CBS)

Pete Morelli is the referee, who is in his 17th year and 12th as referee. This is Morelli’s 14th postseason assignment (6 wild card playoffs, 5 divisional playoffs, 2 conference championships, and Super Bowl XXXVI). His Super Bowl assignment was as a field judge.

Yr.

Crew

College

Occupation

R

135

Pete Morelli

17

St Mary’s

high school principal

U

53

Garth DeFelice

16

Blakeman

San Diego State

distribution center manager, beverage company

HL

106

Wayne Mackie

7

Steratore

Colgate

director of operations, housing

LJ

101

Carl Johnson

10

Morelli

Nicholls State

full-time official

FJ

89

Jon Lucivansky

5

Morelli

Minnesota

college educator

SJ

15

Rick Patterson

18

Coleman

Wofford

banker

BJ

30

Todd Prukop

5

Cheffers

Cal State-Fullerton

medical sales representative

Alternates: (not confirmed)

Replay official: Jim Lampetina

Replay assistant: Jim Pearson

Supervisor: Ed Coukart

Sunday, Jan. 12

NFC Divisional Playoff: 49ers at Panthers, 1 p.m. (Fox)

Carl Cheffers is the referee, who is in his 14th season and 6th as referee. This is Cheffers’ 8th postseason assignment (3 wild card playoffs, 3 divisional playoffs, 2 conference championships).

Yr.

Crew

College

Occupation

R

51

Carl Cheffers

14

California-Irvine

sales manager

U

71

Ruben Fowler

8

Leavy

Huston-Tillotson

retired firefighter

HL

54

George Hayward

23

Corrente

Missouri Western

vice-president and manager, warehouse company

LJ

100

Tom Symonette

10

Cheffers

Florida

certified public accountant

FJ

88

Scott Steenson

23

Winter

North Texas

commercial real estate developer

SJ

62

Ronald Torbert

4

Corrente

Michigan State

attorney

BJ

133

Steve Freeman

13

Triplette

Mississippi State

custom home builder

Alternates: (not confirmed)

Replay official: Charles Stewart

Replay assistant: Jimmy Oldham

AFC Divisional Playoff: Chargers at Broncos, 4:30 p.m. (CBS)

Clete Blakeman is the referee, who is in his 6th season and 4th as referee. This is Blakeman’s 3rd postseason assignment (2 wild card playoffs, first divisional playoffs). Blakeman missed the playoffs last season; because he could not earn a playoff assignment in his first year as an official or as a referee, it was the only season in his NFL career that he did not qualify.

Terry McAulay a graduate of Louisiana State and born and raised in Hammond Louisiana is assigned to officiate the Saints at Seahawks game this weekend. I clearly remember in 2012 when Brian Stropolo (an NFL replacement official) from the same state who assigned to work the Saints vs Carolina game in 2012. was removed because of a picture of him and his wife (who had died a few months prior to him becoming a replacement official) on his facebook page. “Anderson said the NFL decided to err on the side of caution by removing Stropolo, as to prevent any storylines or excuses that could be related to potential in-game conflicts.”

Understand that Terry McAulay is a very good official and absolutely deserving of a high profile NFL game. Why the saints game? With the state of NFL officiating this season where is the media now about this assignment? Where are the ESPN reporters questioning if he could be a homer? Why isn’t this a story line today? Why no comment by Ray Anderson about Terry’s assignment? I just don’t understand.

Short answer is that Stropolo did not disclose his potential conflict of interest to the league. Therefore, he was a relative unknown, and they could not vouch for his impartiality.

McAulay has been with the league for many years and has had numerous Saints assignments. The league sees no conflict, because he had no conflict.

Also, I will submit that Baton Rogue is not New Orleans.

C.J. Tompkins

January 7, 2014 at 1:56 pm

Be curious to see who else from Blakeman’s crew is working with him in Denver. His back judge, Terrence Miles, lives and works in Denver and came out of the great pipeline of the high school Denver Football Officials Association. Blakeman has not done a Broncos game this year.

I loved the article that Peter King on MMQB (Game 150: A Week in the Life of an Officiating Crew). Because of Peter’s article, I view the 3rd team on the field much differently than I ever have. I now look to see which crews are working my team’s games (Go Broncos). Scott Green’s crew seemed to have a great season. I’m surprised he wasn’t selected for post season games — especially since this will be his last year.

What happened to the NFL plan to have 7 full time officials in 2013, which was a major discussion point prior to the contract talks? Carl Johnson (#101) is the only full time official that I can see. Just curious because it was such a big deal way back when. Enjoy the info and insights provided in the website.